DIY 13-Pin Cable

Started by billbax, February 03, 2018, 08:38:50 AM

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billbax

Hi Everyone,

Making your own high quality 13-pin GK cable is a very rewarding task, not to mention a sensible cost-cutting endeavour.  Choosing the best available components in any project takes time, with many hours of trial and error. Trying to keep this topic short and to the point, set out below is a researched collection of project photos and links, which will help anyone construct a high quality 13-pin cable. And yes, the cable boasts a much improved specification over a standard Roland GK cable.

Hyper Flexible 3M Project cable
Cable source: https://www.rapidonline.com/kabeltronik-341601000-lifydy-16-x-0-10mm-black-shielded-49-0375
https://www.kabeltronik.de/en/electronics-industry/miniature-control-cables/art/mini-control-cable-highly-flexible-shielded-lifydy-16/30



3M 13-pin cable specifications

Resistance:
Core-to-Core = 0.51ohms
Screen = 0.08ohms
Capacitance:
Core to Screen = 370pF
Cable diameter = 6mm

Improved ground/screen.
With a near 100% screen coverage, 'High-Gain' v-synth patch cable movement noise is greatly reduced compared to a Roland cable.


Hyper-flexible cable that doesn't kink...much



Cable flexibility aided by central twin fibres.


One more showing twin fibres and conductors.


Soldered connections Vs Crimpped connections.
Crimp connections are convenient for manufacturers, but generally frowned upon in hi-end audio.


Last one if you are feeling brave. DIY GKP-2 distribution cable.
An extremely difficult cable to make, with horrendous zig-zag crossed paired connections. A better solution would be Gumbo's 13-pin panel socket inside a small 50 x 50 x 40 diecast case...with lights on it Peter!


Food for thought,

Bill

www.separate-strings.co.uk

COMPONENT RESOURCES

CABLE:
https://www.rapidonline.com/kabeltronik-341601000-lifydy-16-x-0-10mm-black-shielded-49-0375  UK distributor.
https://www.kabeltronik.de/en/electronics-industry/miniature-control-cables/art/mini-control-cable-highly-flexible-shielded-lifydy-16/30  German manufacturer.

CONNECTORS:
http://www.iec-usa.com/dn13ms-l.html
  US based.  An excellent 13-pin connector. As a UK customer ordering 20 pieces, I was hit with a £20.00GBP import duty charge. Great connector though.

https://coolnovelties.co.uk/coolnovelties/connectors/133-13-pin-din-male-plug-locking-connector.html  UK Based.  Do not be discourage by the domain name, this connector is excellent and highly reliable. Coolnovelties are prompt in delivery and have followed through with every order made.

deano

Hi All

I have been using Bill's new cables on a number of live gigs. Really good connection and the cable provides real flexibility. Also, I bought some of Bill's cable and unit dust covers. They provide further reduction in dirt and fluff accumulation when they are not being used.

Check his stuff out

Deano


GuitarBuilder

Bill,

Very nice cable indeed!  I wonder if you've heard or measured any crosstalk or noise between conductors?  I'm asking because they're not individually shielded.
"There's no-one left alive, it must be a draw"  Peter Gabriel 1973

billbax

#3
Hi GuitarBuilder,

None of the commercially available 13-pin cable manufacturers offer individual string core ground shields - only a basic copper-braid/mesh around all cores. Also individual string signal ground screens, would make the cable very stiff and unusable.

A standard 13-pin cable works ok, but it depends on the screen coverage.  I remember my first Roland cable, and the braided screen coverage was around 50%.  I never checked it on a spectrum analyzer, but can imagine the 0Hz - 200Hz area dancing up and down by 10-15dB @ -70 -90dB.  With a near 100% ground screen coverage, cable movement noise is greatly reduced.  I don't own a Gittler or a Codesmart 13pin cable, but it would be great to put them to a ground screen test.  Followed by a fact finding anatomy teardown, and capacitance and milliohm resistance tests.

As far as I know, the only 13-pin cable with individual ground screens is my multicore.  Great for the studio, where GK audio performance is critical.


QuoteI wonder if you've heard or measured any crosstalk or noise between conductors?

Crosstalk between string signal cores is at the mercy of a GK sensors natural crosstalk, typically 35-40dB. Individual ground screens would not make any appreciable improvement on the 35-40dB figure. The overall jacket screen is generally enough to reduce electromagnetic interference and cable movement noise - assuming the screen coverage is near 100%.  In contrast, a multicore cable has individual foil-screens offering genuine 100% coverage. In audio performance, a standard 13-pin off-the-shelf cable, cannot compete with a purpose-built 13-pin multicore cable.

Foil screen vs token Roland 13-pin cable screen.


Bill

GuitarBuilder

"There's no-one left alive, it must be a draw"  Peter Gabriel 1973

vtgearhead

I lack the patience to build my own, but if anyone goes into production of a 13-pin cable with that super-flexible wire I'm interested.

billbax

Hi vtgearhead,

There are at least half a dozen forum members capable of producing a quality 13-pin cable, and it only takes two or three members to start a trend.

A 5m costs around £28.00GBP with the above components, and a few hours labour.  I can't speak of the Gittler cable or codesmart's less expensive cable, but love the idea of breaking cable supplier dependency, And owning a quality cable into the bargain.

One conductor stripped showing upwards of 30+ fine copper strands. Even the conductors are hyper-flexible.


Bill

vtgearhead

I'm capable of it, but not looking forward to it :-).  Maybe Codesmart's supplier would consider a run using that flexible cable?

billbax

Know how you feel with making up the cable. Like the idea of codesmart or whoever providing a hyper-flexible cable, and obviously charging a higher price. Still need to know the anatomy with the Gittler cable, and a flexibility comparison.

Bill

billbax

Hi Everyone,
Here's the latest GK Studio 13-pin multicore. In serious recording, I cannot imagine using anything else. Enough said.

Bill
https://separate-strings.co.uk

The cable. This one is a custom 1.5M with four twin-core OFC 3.5mm cables. Cable resistance is 0.16 ohms @ 2M, compared to a Roland cable 0.32 ohms @ 2M.


In the post mockup. 13-pin multicore with dust cover ends.


For the cores! 13-pin string signal conductors do not get any better than this. Core crosstalk is 60dB and similar to any 13-pin cable manufacturer using adjacent cores for string signals.
Cable options are seven individually shielded cores, offering an improved 80dB. Having said that, there is no improvement with GK string separation under tests.


13-pin top & bottom solder shell lock improves connector integrity and ground connection. A 450C iron temperature is required and a small amount of flux paste.
Do not attempt this mod without flux!